Devices for the type to which the present invention relates includes those for slicing food products, such as vegetables, for food service and restaurant operations.
This invention is an improvement upon slicing and cutting devices commercially available devices, such as those from commercially available from Shaver Specialty of Torrance, Calif. and Nemco Food Equipment of Hicksville, Ohio.
Other versions of these food slicing devices have been rendered in embodiments that provide for machine action rather than hand actuation. However, there remains a need for improvements in such devices.
It is desirable to have a safe, automatic, easy-to-use system for slicing vegetables in high volumes with little effort.
In addition, it is desirable to be able to dismantle the system for easy cleaning for sanitary purposes, and to be able to replace portions of the device with operative portions where the device fails in part, to allow for continued operation without substantial downtime. This is particularly important in the food service and restaurant industries where heavy duty versions of these devices find application.
It is also desirable to have an apparatus that may be mounted on a table or on a wall that is able to be removed from the table or wall, as this allows for some variation in installation and use to accommodate different application environments.
It is also desirable to have an apparatus in which the vegetable or other item to be sliced does not become dislodged and can be held in position for slicing.
It is also desirable to have an apparatus in which several vegetables or other food items may be sliced in rapid and automatic succession while being safe to operate for the user.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.